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Thousands to march in Moscow to mourn slain Boris Nemtsov

Police officers walk with their sniffing dog checking the area prior a march in memory of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was gunned down on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015 near the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, March 1, 2015. Russian investigators, politicians and political commentators on state television on Saturday covered much ground in looking for the reason Nemtsov was gunned down in the heart of Moscow, but they sidestepped one possibility, that he was murdered for his relentless opposition to Putin. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) Police officers walk with their sniffing dog checking the area prior a march in memory of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was gunned down on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015 near the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, March 1, 2015. Russian investigators, politicians and political commentators on state television on Saturday covered much ground in looking for the reason Nemtsov was gunned down in the heart of Moscow, but they sidestepped one possibility, that he was murdered for his relentless opposition to Putin. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

By Associated Press March 1, 2015 1 min read

MOSCOW (AP) – Thousands are expected to march through central Moscow to mourn veteran liberal politician Boris Nemtsov, whose killing has shaken Russia’s beleaguered opposition.

The mourning march could serve to energize the opposition or it could prove to be a brief outpouring of emotions that once again dissipate.

Whoever was responsible for the murder, the signal it sends to President Vladimir Putin’s foes is that if Nemtsov can be killed for his political activism then no one is safe.

Opposition activists had planned a protest rally on Sunday, which the city demanded they hold in a suburban neighborhood. After Nemtsov’s death, they called instead for a demonstration to mourn him in central Moscow. The city gave its quick approval.

The mourners are to march to the bridge where Nemtsov was gunned down.